An open letter to Yes! Magazine

I’m not one that normally subscribes to a ton of magazines. A few that are important to me I keep around; HOW, Pink and Yoga Journal are subscriptions I’ve maintained for years, and I refer to them again and again. Yes! Magazine I subscribed to for a year, mainly out of support for its message of personal responsibility, sustainability and social change. However, when I decided to let the subscription lapse (I just wasn’t reading it), I started receiving direct mail from them every other week for the last three months. Finally, I sent them this letter today, after receiving my fifth “final notice” from them.

Dear [Subscription Manager],

Thank you for your passionate interest in my continued subscription to your magazine. However, I feel that I should inform you that today’s direct mail solicitation is, in fact, the fourth or fifth one that I’ve received from your magazine since my decision to let the subscription lapse. This is in addition to at least three e-mail solicitations. As a magazine that purports to be pro-sustainability and positive social change, how do you justify the incredible amount of paper and digital waste involved in trying to re-secure my business? Is this something unique to me, or do you do this to all readers who decide to let their subscriptions lapse?

Again, thank you for your interest, but I have decided that Yes! Magazine is not right for me. Have a wonderful week, and best wishes to you.

Sincerely,

Dani Nordin, principal

the zen kitchen